Nations League: Manager Kenny praises Republic of Ireland squad's 'mentality'
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Strahil Popov and Robbie Brady in action during the Republic of Ireland's 0-0 draw with Bulgaria
Stephen Kenny saluted his Republic of Ireland players as a bruising Nations League campaign ravaged by coronavirus and injuries ended with him still awaiting his first victory as manager.
The Republic have gone eight games without a win under their new boss - and now 11 hours without a goal after a 0-0 draw with Bulgaria in Dublin.
A point was enough to secure their Nations League B status.
"All of the players showed a brilliant mentality," said Kenny.
After seeing Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy leave the camp after losing his father and four players having to self-isolate following Covid-19 tests, Kenny had nothing but praise for the character within his squad.
'Unsettling' time for players
"The fact the players have had to endure what they've had to endure over the last couple of months, having to deal with Covid-related issues nearly every day in the camp, it's very unsettling for players, very unsettling for them in their lives and all their connected families.
"It's been a very, very difficult period over the last two windows with all of that. We lost some players with bereavement in this camp - James McCarthy's father unfortunately passed away - and we lost players through injury.
"There were a lot of issues and in the last two camps, we were probably missing players in double figures.
"The players gave everything of themselves, took everything in their stride and just applied themselves correctly, so I applaud them for that and for their determination even though we didn't win the game," said Kenny after the goalless draw in Dublin.
The clash between the group's third and fourth-placed teams was never likely to be a classic, and so it proved - with Robbie Brady's 68th-minute shot which came back off the crossbar the closest either side came to winning it.
The statistics make for depressing reading for the Republic - they have not won a game of any description since they beat Bulgaria in a friendly in September last year, and their most recent competitive victory came against minnows Gibraltar three months earlier.
Had they ended that run at the Aviva Stadium, they would have remained among the second pot of seeds for the forthcoming World Cup draw, and while their failure to do so could yet prove costly, Kenny was at least able to take comfort from a round of fixtures which has seen new players - among them Dara O'Shea, Jayson Molumby and Jason Knight - emerge.
Nations League 'useful for blooding players'
Asked if avoiding Nations League relegation had come as a relief, he said: "It was very important we weren't relegated, that was very important. It's not something to celebrate, not particularly.
"We've used the Nations League to blood a lot of players, some by design and some because we've had an inordinate number of players ruled out for a variety of reasons. That will stand us well in the future, for sure, and it gives us more options.
"The team that wasn't available to face Bulgaria would be stronger than the team that was - and that's not being disparaging. We'd just so many front-line players not available tonight.
"But having said that, now some players have really put themselves in contention to challenge for places and that's what we needed."
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